Yanks at Royal Racing FC Montegnee (Belgium) for 08/09

[Dave Marino-Nachison]

This self-styled feeder team in the Belgium lower divisions seems to be attracting significant interest from American players.

Ryan Shaughnessy and Eli Gordley both played for the club last season; they are both on the roster again this year, and played in the opener.

Roster:
http://www.royalracingfc.com/squad.php

Opener:
http://www.royalracingfc.com/news.php?n=99

Nick Gkionis also says he has signed for them and he did play in their last tune-up:

http://www.royalracingfc.com/news.php?n=98

However, there may be more.

The last tune-up lineup mentions a Conor Kingston, who appears to be a teenager from Arizona; Matt Friesen, who I believe would have played his last season at Whitworth College last fall; and quite a few others who appear to have played for them this summer.

Still looking into who is actually there and on which squads.

[Dave Marino-Nachison]

Just adding that the other Yank who was at RRFCM last season, Keegan Hudson, doesn't appear to be there anymore. Maybe he's one of the guys who still needs his clearance.

[bantamlive]

Cut and pasted from the website

Royal Racing Football Club Montegnée
Players Squad list 2008/09


Name: Ryan Shaughnessy
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 23
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Jordan Cooper
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 19
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Cody Laurendi
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 20
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Jordan Unreiner
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 18
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Justin Farenik
Position: Defender
Age: 20
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Jon Wheeldon
Position: Defender
Age: 19
Place of Birth: English

Name: Matthew O’Connor
Position: Central Defender
Age: 24
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Conor Kingston
Position: Central Defender
Age: 18
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Patrick Wilson
Position: Central Defender
Age: 21
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Nico Gkionis
Position: Central Defender / Midfielder
Age: 22
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Antonio Scifo
Position: Defender
Age: 18
Place of Birth: Belgium

Name: Denny Velastegui
Position: Full back
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Miles O’Connor
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Ibrahim Camara
Position: Midfielder
Age: 23
Place of Birth: Guinea

Name: Orlin Chalmers
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Joey Spivack
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Will Dunaway
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Joel Makin
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Brian Forero
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Ryan Makin
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Josh Spivack
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Matt Friesen
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Montana Verlange
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Place of Birth: Mexico

Name: Peter Johnson
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21
Place of Birth: Panama

Name: Abel Johnson
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18
Nationality: USA

Name: Luca Bove
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18
Place of Birth: Belgium

Name: Fundu Kizeoko
Position: Midfielder
Age: 23
Place of Birth: Belgium

Name: Murat
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Place of Birth: Belgium

Name: Mark Harpur
Position: Forward
Age: 18
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Eli Gordley
Position: Forward
Age: 20
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Jacob Fronapfel
Position: Forward
Age: 18
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Adam Zymirski
Position: Forward
Age: 18
Place of Birth: Canada

Name: Devan Taylor
Position: Forward
Age: 18
Place of Birth: USA

Name: Sahjah Reid
Position: Forward
Age: 17
Place of Birth: Canada

[prowazekii]

More Americans on the roster than an average MLS club:p

[Dave Marino-Nachison]

Cut and pasted from the website

Royal Racing Football Club Montegnée
Players Squad list 2008/09



Could you provide the link to this page, please? This doesn't appear to be from the Squad page...

http://www.royalracingfc.com/squad.php

... and if these are student players I'm debating whether or not to include them.

[prowazekii]

There seem to be 2 squad lists on their website. One here (http://www.royalracingfc.com/squad.php) under the link "squad". Another is under "recent news" and dated the 26th. This seems to be the one that was posted above (link (http://www.royalracingfc.com/news.php?n=100)).

[Dave Marino-Nachison]

There seem to be 2 squad lists on their website. One here (http://www.royalracingfc.com/squad.php) under the link "squad". Another is under "recent news" and dated the 26th. This seems to be the one that was posted above (link (http://www.royalracingfc.com/news.php?n=100)).

Yeah, just found that. I'm not sure exactly what the significance is, though they do seem to appear to have a reserve team, and the little grey button links appear to be more up-to-date than the rest of the site. So maybe the list above is the "real" first team.

[prowazekii]

Apparently Montegnee has an association with Heidelberg College in Ohio, and students can earn a degree while training and playing soccer in Belgium.


The college and the Royal Racing Football Club Montagneé in Liege, Belgium, have formed a partnership – the Heidelberg-RRFCM Academic & Soccer Academy – that offers students the opportunity to develop professional-level soccer skills in a European setting while working toward a bachelor’s degree in business and/or sport management from Heidelberg.
RRFCM is a professional soccer club that occupies a five-acre sports complex outside Liege. The facility includes a stadium, clubhouse, locker rooms and several practice fields. Heidelberg’s academic facility, including classrooms, library, computer lab, student lounge, dining area and administrative offices, is located on site.



Students who enroll at the academy will be Heidelberg students. All of the courses, to be taught in English, will be identical to those offered on the main campus, and will be transferable to other U.S. colleges and universities.



students will participate in the RRFCM Soccer Academy, which is designed to bring highly talented student-athletes from the U.S. and around the world to their optimal playing potential in a professional environment that mirrors a top-class European coaching academy.


Link to Heidelberg page (http://www.heidelberg.edu/node/1633)

They also have an association with Bradford City FC


City have paid a "small" consultancy fee for the deal, which runs until July 2010. Under its terms, City can take any players from Racing on a free transfer, with any profit from a future sell-on split equally between the two clubs.



Young prospects will join Royal Racing at the age of 16 or 17 and spend three years playing there to gain European residency. Then City can pick and choose which, if any, of the players they want to look at.


Bradford City link (http://www.bradfordcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1166648,00.html)

[prowazekii]

Eli Gordley interview about Montegnee:

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[Dave Marino-Nachison]

A little info on the players listed as American above:

Ryan Shaughnessy is a GK who played at Hardin-Simmons. He was with RRFCM last season; sometimes his dad posts here, so maybe we'll get an update.

Jordan Cooper, not sure. Probably not the guy who played at Hope College. May be from Georgia.

http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/29555

Cody Laurendi appears to be a GK from Florida who played JC ball at S. Georgia College.

Conor Kingston is a 1990 who played Arizona ODP.

Nico Gkionis we know about; he's been in Cyprus.

Joey Spivack appears to be a Jersey player who has spent time with the Red Bulls youth teams.

Will Dunaway appears to be one of the better players in his age group in Georgia:

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/020103/oth_047-4513.000.shtml

Brian Forero was a freshman at Georgia State last year.

Josh Spivack is Joey's older brother, a 1987 from New Jersey who is listed as a senior caption for Centenary College this fall.

Matt Friesen was a senior at Whitworth College last year.

Abel Johnson is an Ethiopian-born player from Nevada. May or may not be a U.S. citizen; I assume the club would check, but clubs have been wrong:

http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20071026/Sports/110260035

Eli Gordley is from the Seattle area. I had him as a 1984 based on the club's web site but that may be incorrect and he may be younger -- I think he is an 87 or thereabouts.

Jacob Fronapfel is from Colorado.

Devan Taylor, not sure for now.

[prowazekii]

Eli Gordley is from the Seattle area. I had him as a 1984 based on the club's web site but that may be incorrect and he may be younger -- I think he is an 87 or thereabouts.


According to these Eli was a high school senior in 2005-6 academic year, which would seem to cast serious doubt on being born in '84.

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/prepsports/archives/103590.asp

http://read.nwsource.com/highschool/archive/06/soccer/boys/players/totals.cfm?PlayerID=86384

[prowazekii]

Devan Taylor signing and other random stuff

Zw_mnRWRe_s

[arsenalfc08]

I think this is a great opportunity for american players or any young player. It seems like the English academies where they play and work toward a degree, although I think a degree in sports managment may be a little better than a certificate of physiotherapy.

Anyone know if any of the guys have gone to other clubs? Have any gone to Bradford City.

[prowazekii]

Jordan Cooper, not sure. Probably not the guy who played at Hope College. May be from Georgia.


Jordan is from Georgia. Attended the same high school (Whitewater HS) as Forero.

[USvsIRELAND]

This sounds like an awesome deal.

[bantamlive]

Maybe Just a rumour..
But I have heard that Johnny Exantus will also join Royal Racing FC Montegnee this week..

[AEinstein]

Both Brian Forero and Will Dunaway were on the region 3 ODp team during their high school years - both having played on this team with Bryan Arguez and Jozy Altidore. Will attended the adidas ESP in the summer of 06 and went to the U-14 national team development camp in 03 and signed with UNCG out of high school. As a junior at Greenbrier HS (Evans, GA) he was involved in 40% of the teams scores with 17 goals and 28 assists that year. He had foot surgery the summer before freshman year at UNCG and left UNCG never having played for them.

[Pagefan]

Looks like RRFCM are no longer affiliated (http://www.royalracingfc.com/news.php?n=108) with Bradford City. Looks like Bradford hasn't been paying their bills:

"With deep regret, we must announce the ending of our partnership with English league two club Bradford City. RRFC Montegnée has not received any agreed youth sponsorship monies from Bradford City for a period of six months, which is contrary to the approved contract between Bradford City FC & Royal Racing FC Montegnée.

We wish Bradford City all the best in their future football endeavours, but we feel it is important in the development of RRFC Montegnée that both parties move on.

Royal Racing Football Club Montegnée is now talking to other English clubs, whom wish to partner with the club."

[Pagefan]

Maybe Just a rumour..
But I have heard that Johnny Exantus will also join Royal Racing FC Montegnee this week..

Yes, they have signed Exantus.

[dcpohl]

Yes, they have signed Exantus.
Seriously? Link?